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Tuesday, February 26, 2013

The Frugal Files: 5 Ways to Your Stockpile

Many
people ask me why I’m an Extreme Couponer. Well, I don’t really consider myself
extreme, but I coupon because I want to save my family money on food and the
things we use at home. If you found a way to save money in your pockets wouldn't you keep doing it? Exactly!! One of the ways to make sure I save money
is to stock those items, so my family doesn't have pay more in the long run.
How, you ask? It’s easy. Have a stockpile. I know that’s pretty easy to say,
but is it easy to do? Of course it is!! Here’s how:

Investigate:
Sit down with your family and write down the things that you use and eat most
and how much. Brands don’t matter because with couponing, you’ll find
stockpiling what’s on sale is best. Once you have your numbers, be on the cycle
look out for your items. Based on your family size, ask yourself how much you
want to have on hand. A good rule of thumb is to set aside about six months’
worth of food and 12-24 months’ worth of household and personal items.

Build:
Start by watching the sales and gathering your corresponding coupons for the
items on your list. Choose 1-2 items weekly to stock. Sales come around in
cycles, usually every 8-12 weeks, so organize your coupon binders and be ready
to jump on the sale when it comes. This is the longest part of the process and
can take about 3-9 months to get it where you feel it’s a comfortable
stockpile. The idea is that you have enough to last you through the season or
until the next sales cycle.

Organize:
Arrange your items neatly as you get them, preferably on shelves so you can see
them clearly. If you have extra cabinets or shelves, great, if not, you may
have to get some shelves and put them up in your basement or storage area. For
those with large families wanting to create a large stockpile, consider investing
in a deep freezer. You will need it (or two). Separate your sections for food,
personal items, toiletries, household items, medicines and pet items. Put like
items together and move those things you bought first, to the front so they get
used first.

Manage:
Develop a system to keep track of what you have, whether you keep a checklist
or use a dry erase board or chalkboard. The key is teaching your family to
update the number when they take items out of the pantry or deep freezer.
You’ll want to know everything you have at all times, which includes the
quantity and their expiration dates. When your items get close to expiring and
you know you’re not going to use them, consider donating to family, friends or
a local pantry. You don’t want to lose your savings by letting things go to
waste.

Replenish:
Even when you have a nice stockpile going and you’re able to “shop” in your own
store, don’t let it die. When those sales come back around and are “stockpile
prices”, jump in an grab a couple of those deals, to keep your stockpile up and
running. Keep a list of stockpiling prices in your coupon binder. This way when
you come across the right price, you can stock up then, saving hundreds of
dollars in the long run.